2018 Oscars Challenge: [19] “Get Out” – 4 Nominations

“GET OUT”
Sean McKittrick, Jason Blum, Edward H. Hamm Jr. and Jordan Peele

Director & Writer: Jordan Peele
Producers: Sean McKittrick, Jason Blum, Edward H. Hamm Jr. and Jordan Peele
Cinematography: Toby Oliver
Editor: Nick Houy
Composer: Michael Abels
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Release Date: February 24, 2017
Run-time: 103 minutes

FILM SYNOPSIS: Photographer Chris Washington is nervous about meeting his girlfriend Rose’s parents for the first time, especially when he learns that she has not told them that he is black. Their awkward behavior, along with the oddness exhibited by their two African-American servants, puts Chris on alert but even so, he is unprepared for the family’s true motivations.

“Get Out” is one of the most original films to come out of 2017. The fact that it makes such a striking statement about race relations in America while being one of the most unique horror films of the year also buys it a special place in the year. Jordan Peele, who got his start as a comedic actor opposite Keegan Michael Key on their show “Key & Peele,” has since “retired” from acting to take on directing full-time after this success. Not only does Peele direct this as his first feature, but he also wrote the screenplay, which many are considering the best of the year. For “Get Out” to break into the Oscars was only natural, but being a horror movie that came out in February, it definitely had an uphill battle to get there.

Not only did “Get Out” get nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, which many felt like it could pull off, it also got a nomination for leading actor Daniel Kaluuya, thanks to the absence of James Franco (“The Disaster Artist”). On top of that, Jordan Peele pulled off a Best Directing nomination, thanks in part to some attention from the Directors Guild in its nominating and even awarding for the first-time director category. Four nominations is actually a big deal for this type of film and in all honesty, it could definitely pull off at least one win of the four. Of the four, Daniel Kaluuya is probably the least likely to take home the gold. In the Best Actor in a Leading Role category, all eyes are on Gary Oldman’s transformation in “Darkest Hour” (which I believe is the front-runner) and the performance of young Timothee Chalamet in “Call Me By Your Name.” Even Daniel Day-Lewis likely has a better shot since this is his retirement piece, but I still think it’s Oldman versus Chalamet.

Next, the directing category is stacked. Guillero del Toro has been mostly sweeping the major directing awards thus far, giving him a slight advantage. “The Shape Of Water” has the most nominations this year and that usually works in the favor of the director in a lot of years. Del Toro has a brilliant body of work, much of it loved by the Academy, so that definitely gives him an edge over the competition. The Academy could want to award Christopher Nolan as well. Although the heat for “Dunkirk” has all but been washed away, there could still be some love for this director’s accomplishments. Then you have the female vote going for Greta Gerwig and “Lady Bird.” Although I do not personally believe she quite lands as the Best Director of the Year, with the year we’ve had producing the “Me Too” and “Time’s Up” movements, her winning to be a capstone to all of that. So to say Jordan Peele doesn’t have his work cut out for him in this category is an understatement. Yes, “Get Out” is a wonderfully directed film and Peele beyond deserves this nomination, but for starters, this is only his first feature. Did Nolan win after his first films like “Memento” and “The Prestige”? No, he didn’t even get nominated let alone win for his directing work on “The Dark Knight” or “Inception.” So to say Jordan Peele should win this year is a little presumptuous. Peele is very talented, but I’d love to see what else he can do before we award him for his first feature.

The category I think “Get Out” has the best shot in is Best Original Screenplay, just because it is seriously an original screenplay, plus it got people talking this year. This film came out a year ago and people are still talking about it. I do not feel like “Lady Bird,” “The Big Sick,” or “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” have that to boast about. A year after their releases, they will probably not be talked about the “Get Out” has been. On top of that, if “Get Out” can rally some support in the Best Picture race, I definitely feel like it has a small shot. My criteria for being a Best Picture is whether or not it is the film that you will remember from that year, decades from now. That is why I differ sometimes with the Academy, because they seem to go for the film that is important to them right now, like “Moonlight” and “Spotlight,” where I feel like “La La Land” and “The Revenant” are the films we will remember out of those years. “Get Out” is definitely a touchstone of 2017. When you see a list of the 2017 films, I think most remember “Get Out” as being one of the best of the year. The main competition for “Get Out” is likely “The Shape Of Water” in both categories. “Get Out” has the Writers Guild win behind it, but Guillermo del Toro has gotten a lot of love across the board and could easily pull off an Oscar for writing. “Three Billboards” has won a few awards but the backlash now surrounding the movie could hinder it. “Lady Bird” is still in this race as well. But I do believe I’ll be marking “Get Out” as my guess for winning Best Original Screenplay.

PREVIOUS NOMINATIONS

JORDAN PEELE
Director

DANIEL KALUUYA
“Chris Washington”

CHARACTER SYNOPSIS: As Chris Washington, Daniel Kaluuya portrays an African-American photographer who discovers that his white girlfriend’s liberal parents have a sinister motive for welcoming him to the family.

JORDAN PEELE
Screenwriter